Voter Registration El Salvador

Maria Hernandez, a 67-year-old war refugee, tried to retrieve her voter registration card three times before today's national elections. Each time, she was told the card was not ready, and now Hernandez cannot vote for what would have been her first time. In the nearby town of Arcatao, Carlos Franco Chavarria, a former guerrilla commander, received his voter card a couple of days ago, but his name does not appear on the master list.

Maria Hernandez, a 67-year-old war refugee, tried to retrieve her voter registration card three times before today's national elections. Each time, she was told the card was not ready, and now Hernandez cannot vote for what would have been her first time. In the nearby town of Arcatao, Carlos Franco Chavarria, a former guerrilla commander, received his voter card a couple of days ago, but his name does not appear on the master list.

Warning of possible fraud in El Salvador's presidential election, the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) is calling for increased support from the U.S. and Salvadoran governments to ensure increased voter registration. Efforts include opening the door for 1 million Salvadorans living in the United States to take part in the March election.

Tony Garza, a prominent Texas Republican politician and former aide to then-Gov. George W. Bush, is the president's choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to Mexico, the White House announced Tuesday. Garza, 53, a second-generation American of Mexican descent, was Texas' chief liaison to Mexico while Bush was governor. He became the first Latino Republican elected to statewide office in Texas in 1998, when he was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates energy production.